Author Archives: llpitlwp

A Shot of Prevention for Flu Season

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Thursday was flu shot day for me.

This year, I went to CVS Minute Clinic instead of getting my flu shot at work.  Hospital  policy makes it mandatory that all employees get a flu shot so that we do not expose our patients to the flu.

Minute Clinic was a new experience for me. Since my family is in the medical world, it has always been easy for me to drop by my doctor’s office for a quick shot in the arm so to speak.

CVS simplified my Fall routine. They offered me an opportunity to get a “complimentary” flu shot, which turned out to be a great convenience. Because I have a history mitral valve problems, a flu shot is highly recommended and I take my health very seriously.

Upon arriving at  a CVS, not too far from my home…I had to check in on the Minute Clinic computer in the waiting area. It was easy enough, but I could see, where it could be a problem for elderly folks, who may not have computer skills.

Five chairs were available in the waiting area. This was a good sign…it meant that they do not anticipate lengthy wait times so no need for too many seats.

My computer sign-in screen notified me, there were five people ahead of me…good information to share as it established a time frame. The nurse also told us, a few people were there only for flu shots and another nurse was expected back from lunch shortly, so the wait would not be too long.

I breathed a sigh of relief, as I had to be at school pick-up in an hour. IMG_7175

When it was my turn, the Nurse Practitioner reviewed the questions and answers from my computer profile. I signed my consent, got my vaccination, my receipt and was quickly on my way to school pick-up.

I was also given a 20% off coupon for CVS, which I will use on another visit.

This was my first time at a Minute Clinic. It was clean, efficient and friendly. I felt confident with my Nurse Practitioner. She was young, competent and nice. Since I am a nurse, it is my practice to “interview” nurses that take care of me

The real measure of a successful experience is whether or not I would feel comfortable coming to a Minute Clinic for medical care in the future ?… the answer…without reservation, YES.

Would I recommend getting a flu shot this year?..YES…for sure.

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Disclosure:

I was given a “free” flu shot from Minute Clinic…all opinions are my own as always.

 

Toddler’s Tantrums, Creative Children, Smarter than Adults

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Parenting in the Loop Facebook

Janet Lansbury offers many insights into how to take care of your babies and children. She    is a follower of Magda Gerber and her RIE philosophy.

Here are some of my favorite posts from Janet, that recently came across my feed. I hope you enjoy them and realize that as a parent and grandparent you have an awesome responsibility and a wonderful one as you involve yourself in caring for your babies.

“Take the mobile off the bed, take care of their needs, and leave them alone.” This odd sentence was my introduction to Magda Gerberand the child care philosophy that would become my passion. I had given birth a few months before reading this quotation, the only one by Gerber, in an article in L.A. Parent magazine about raising a creative child.

via Magda Gerber and the Creative Child | Janet Lansbury.

Babies and children are always fascinating and sometimes frustrating to me. As a former maternal child nurse, I feel privileged to have been one of the first people to have held some newborns. I always felt that the birth of another little being was a blessing and a miracle. I think I always knew that something special had just happened when a baby was delivered.

GENERATIONS of psychologists and philosophers have believed that babies and young children were basically defective adults — irrational, egocentric and unable to think logically. The philosopher John Locke saw a baby’s mind as a blank slate, and the psychologist William James thought they lived in a “blooming, buzzing confusion.” Even today, a cursory look at babies and young children leads many to conclude that there is not much going on.

New studies, however, demonstrate that babies and very young children know, observe, explore, imagine and learn more than we would ever have thought possible. In some ways, they are smarter than adults.

via Op-Ed Contributor – Your Baby Is Smarter Than You Think – NYTimes.com.

 

Temper tantrums can be very perplexing to parents. This anecdote might help explain how RIE understands the mechanisms of toddler tantrums.

Young children are self-healing geniuses, have you noticed? Sometimes their tantrums are an expression of immediate discomforts like fatigue or hunger. Other times, however, they have a backlog of internalized feelings and will seem to deliberately and (seemingly) unreasonably push our limits so that we will hold steady and resist, which then opens up the escape valve they need to release these emotions. But this process can only work for them when we are able to set and hold limits and bravely accept their feelings.

via The Healing Power of a Toddler’s Tantrum | Janet Lansbury.

A WIC Shutdown: Here is Where You Can Get Baby Formula

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Bottle Feeding

We all know that the government shutdown has caused problems for those parents receiving formula and baby food from WIC.

Jessica Lawson, the feminist mom has compiled a list by state of where to get WIC aid. It is not a complete list but it is a good resource for those in need.

Lisa Belkin published this information on Huffington Post earlier today.

I hope it is helpful!

Where To Find Formula And Baby Food During A WIC Shutdown.

Monday Farmers’ Market

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Our village’s Farmers’ Market Monday has been a weekly ritual ever since mid May.

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Next week is the last market day until Spring 2014…

It will mark the end of a plentiful season of fresh flowers, tomatoes, berries, lettuces, carrots, beets, squash, and endless apples and pumpkins.

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We are lucky to have several Michigan farms from which to choose and a smaller farm visits town on Thursdays and Sundays so that there is no excuse to not have fresh produce.

Today, there was a bounty of Fall foods…zucchinis, apples, pumpkins…there were even a few quarts of strawberries and raspberries, which beckoned me to hoard them.

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I love to make just a few jars of raspberry and strawberry jam along with a couple of apple crisps.

By the dead of winter I will be longing for the freshness of real berries and tasty tomatoes and will settle for the good looking ones at our local fruit store or succumb to the flat taste of the fruit at the supermarket or worse yet the pesticide laden fruit at our local “big box” store.

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Do you long for fresh produce all winter like I do?

 

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Weekend Reads: October We Save Breasts, Pregnancy Weight Gain, Easy Meals

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Friday…

the end of a busy week.

some reads that came across my screen this week.

have a great weekend everyone!

what are your plans?

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month…but do you really know how to prevent breast cancer…it is not eating foods with “pink ribbons” on it. Jessica’s points are well taken in her post on Broadcast

I dread October. I dread the pink ribbons that will adorn everything from known carcinogens to rifles to football gloves and shoes. I detest the three day walks, the tales of survivorship from breast cancer including an estimated 25% who had DCIS.

via October: The Month Where We Save Breasts (But Not Women) | Broadscast.

 

One of the big questions…how much weight should you gain when you are pregnant? It varies but gaining too much weight is not a good thing.

 

So how much weight is a woman supposed to gain while growing a baby in her belly? According to the Mayo Clinic a “normal” sized woman should gain about 25 to 35 pounds and an overweight woman should gain about 15 to 25 pounds.

via Study Confirms: Gaining Too Much Weight During Pregnancy Could Be Bad for Your Kid | Babble.

 

 

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One of my easy meals…

How important are quick and easy dinners during your week? I personally love ideas for fast foods that are homemade…do you?

 

The goal on weeknights is to get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. The trick is to be sure it is healthy, tasty, and something my whole family will enjoy. It starts with a well-stocked pantry — a shelf full of canned goods so vegetables are always at the ready, a variety of spices to compliment any recipe, and staples like potatoes and rice to round out the meal.

via Easy Meal Ideas in 30-Minutes or Less.

Flu Season is here…will you get a Flu Shot?

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Flu Shot

I will be getting a flu shot this year. It is mandated at my workplace but that is not the only reason I get vaccinated.

My personal reasons for getting a flu shot every year are:

  • asthma
  • age
  • post mitral valve repair surgery

All of the above would make a case of the flu more serious for me and I do not need a complicated case of the flu.

Fortunately for me, I have several options available as to where to get vaccinated, my doctor’s office, my workplace or Minute Clinic at CVS. I am going to Minute Clinic.

Minute Clinics are available in many areas and you can go there and easily get your Flu Shot. This year there are several options…flu mist, mini needles, or the regular shot. I choose the regular shot. As a nurse, I am not afraid of needles…never really have been.

In a few days, I will be posting about my experience at my local CVS Pharmacy and Minute Clinic, so you can see how easy it is to get vaccinated against this year’s flu.

Kids need flu vaccine too…a case of the flu can keep them out of school causing for missed work for you both…holidays are affected too…I cannot tell you how many holidays have been ruined by some crazy virus, so why take a chance with the flu?

I know vaccinations are not for everyone, this is not up for discussion with me. I vaccinate and will continue to do so. Please do not comment about my choice and I will not comment about yours.

Head over to the Minute Clinic website and learn more about what they offer as the winter and “flu and cold season” approaches,

Related posts:

Flu season is upon us: Get your kids vaccinated

 

 

Bedtime Rituals for Kids

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Madeline

I sort of love rituals…it makes me feel somewhat secure to know that I do a certain thing  almost all the time and that some things are therefore predictable.

In the morning, my ritual is a cup of coffee, I am not the same person if I skip this ritual.

Orange juice at breakfast has also been a ritual for me since childhood as has been breakfast. My grandmother was a firm believer in breakfast. She made it every morning, whether we wanted it or not.

My morning ritual of coffee and breakfast is comforting and I rarely change it, I almost never skip breakfast of some sort and I never skip my coffee.

For children, rituals are also comforting and help to settle them when life hands them a chaotic moment.

A kiss from us when they fall down or a hug from us when they are crying is something that they rely on for comfort.

Bedtime rituals provide comfort at the end of a busy day. It can be very calming for a child to have us join in their bedtime routine of a bath, quiet time and reading. It is a time to help them settle down and quiet themselves. It can also be a time for us to talk with them about whatever is going on in their little heads.

The bedtime ritual of reading with my grandchild is one that I cherish.  Children’s books are wonderful and they generate such an opportunity to interact, whether it is about school, play, friends, or family. Even fairy tales have lessons to teach. The classics like Madeline and Winnie the Pooh bring back so many memories.

Life can feel so frenzied…it bothers me to see little ones lose out on story time before going off to sleep…it is a ritual that just might stay with them long into adulthood. Reading before bed can be relaxing and a way to self soothe as they did when as infants they watched their mobiles in their cribs. Soothing music goes well with bedtime too.

Honestly, after reading and music listening, I am ready for bed myself but many nights my computer beckons me to finish the business at hand. On those nights when “home” work has to get done…I feel robbed…just as I would if I did not have my coffee waiting for me in the morning.

What are some of your favorites to read with your children?

 

 

The benefits of parents reading to children are numerous, everything from stimulating a child’s cognitive, social and emotional development, to exposing them to language and storytelling, Zuckerman said. Bedtime stories also provide a special opportunity for parents and kids to interact, and create a “quieting tradition” as the child gets ready to go to sleep, he added.“Most family rituals – from families eating together to doing a variety of activities together – are declining because adults are busy and because everyone is on their machines,” Zuckerman said.

via Sweet dreams, bedtime story? Many parents skip nightly ritual – TODAY.com.